Nalu Fluff Week 2016
by thyFreshPrincess
Summary: Prompts : Flowers, Starry Date, Cuddling, Festival, Matching, Pregnancy, Family Life/Marriage. My contribution to this awesome week!
1. Prompt One: Flowers

**Nalu Fluff Week 2016.**

 **Prompt: FLOWERS.**

 **Rating: K**

 **Word count: 1059.**

 **/-/**

Natsu groaned as I placed another stack of flowers in his arms, the baby's breath already blending nicely with the violets and forget-me-nots I had already picked out.

"Why do we have to do this again?" Natsu pulled his nose away from the flowers, screwing his face up in an annoyed grimace.

"Because Erza told us to." I reminded him, for the fourth time since we had gotten to the flower market.

 _Why I had gotten Natsu to help me with this errand, I would never know. Half asleep Lucy didn't make good decisions, apparently._

"But, why?"

I resisted the throbbing urge to turn around and rough him up a little, just for incessant questions he felt the need to bug me with.

"Because Erza wants the guild to look more feminine and dammit, because she said so!" I threw a glare back at him, almost failing to keep my voice from getting loud, "Unless you want to go whine to her directly, then zip it Natsu."

He shot me back a petulant stare, huffing as I turned back to my list, continuing down the aisle of colourful flora. He followed me, grumbling every so often but the questions stopped, thank god.

I kept a keen eye out for the next flower on my list when I smiled, "Look Natsu." I plucked a stem of small pink flowers with a brilliant red coating the middle.

He eyed it warily, shifting his arms slightly away from his face to inspect the colourful stem of flowed I held.

"Yeah, it's pretty I guess."

I grinned, "Guess what it's called?"

"Pansies?"

"Nope! These are 'snapdragons.'" I told him cheerfully as he tilted his head, "Snapdragons? Why are they called that?"

I shrugged, picking a few more out of the pile of colours they had, "I'm not sure. Maybe a dragon found them and thought it up on the spot."

He seemed to like this idea, "If I ever found a flower, I'd call it 'frosted pants'." I ignored his colourful language and decided to move on, asking, "And why would you call it that?"

"So I could call Gray a flower and he wouldn't be able to argue with it, since it's fact."

I laughed, "Very romantic of you, does Gray know of your feelings for him?"

He gave me a look of complete dismay which only made me laugh harder. He continued to follow me through the stands though, without any more complaints and his mood seemed considerably lighter.

 _A few hours later…_

We had dropped the flowers off at Erza, who gave us both a pat on the head, which felt more like a sharp smack. I swear, I felt my teeth rattle.

Natsu had decided to follow me home, complaining about the smell of flowers stuck in his nose and giving him a headache. I told him to quit complaining and start smelling things right.

Which earned me an exasperated look because clearly, how is he supposed to smell things right?

I brewed over that whilst I found a vase to put my snapdragons in, I suppose with his sensitive and powerful nose, having flowed shoved in his face for half the day would be irritating.

But why didn't he tell me sooner? I would have sent him away and carried the flowers by myself.

He walked into the kitchen, disbanding my thoughts entirely when I noticed he was shirtless and targeting my fridge. I made a noise of distress and almost tipped the vase over as I rushed to the fridge before he made it.

I threw myself in front of the appliance protectively, "No way Natsu! The only thing in here is the stuff for my dinner and you aren't touching any of it."

He stared down at me, _when did he get so tall?_

"Lucy, I am hungry." He complained as I shooed him away with my hands against his shoulders which were warm and strong, and _woah._

 _Never had I noticed the warmth and strength of his shoulders before whilst shoving him somewhere._

I snatched my hands back but turned my flare up a notch, leaving the "reproachful" stage and heading to "threatening." He plopped down in the seat at my little kitchen island and I sighed thankfully.

"Go find Happy and get something to eat then." I turned towards the fridge to pull out a bottle of water as he slouched, "He's off with Carla and Wendy for the day."

"Is that why you came with me to get the flowers?" I asked, after tinkering with the bottle of water for a few seconds. I handed it to him, and he silently opened it without question, eyeing the snapdragons thoughtfully, "Do you like them?"

Despite the fact he ignored my previous question, whether if he only joined me because Happy was gone or not, I moved on and also stared at the pretty bunch of flowers in the white vase I had found.

"Sure, they are pretty but not my favourite flowers."

"What is your favourite?" He asked, curious as I shrugged, "Lilies usually. My mom loves them as well. I really like Balloon flowers, when they are in season."

"You normally smell like lilies and vanilla." He remarked, and I eyed him weirdly, "You notice what I smell like?"

"I used scent to track down a lot of people in the guild, yours is practically everywhere."

I made a noise of realisation and sat down beside him, also staring at the snapdragons, "Do you like them?"

"I like the name." He told me and I grinned, taking a long drink of cold water. Once I placed the bottle down, he swiped it and I cried out, grabbing at his bicep to stop him.

 _He had done this before._

I watched his throat work as he chugged the whole damn thing down in ten seconds flat. He made a appreciate noise and I shoved him with my shoulder, "You suck."

"Shh, Luce, I'm having a serious moment with the flowers of my ancestors here." I snorted and smacked him over the back of his head with a smile on my lips.

 _Idiot._

 _/-/_

 **Very short and not very fluffy / but it was rushed and I am sleepy! So there we go!**


	2. Prompt Two: Starry Date

**Nalu Fluff Week 2016.**

 **Prompt: STARRY DATE**

 **Rating: K**

 **Word Count: 1,686.**

* * *

I sighed unhappily, staring out at the gloomy day with a look of disappointment. The thick grey clouds seemed never ending, stretching along the sky possessively as rain poured down, not looking like it was letting up anytime soon.

I heard Natsu snore softly from our bedroom, he had already decided that this weather would be perfectly suitable for a nap. Normally I would join him, but I had been looking forward to this day for the last couple of months and was hoping that the storm clouds would pass before it got here.

"Lucy? What's wrong?" I heard a chirpy voice mumble quietly, as Happy hovered next to me, wiping the sleep away from his eyes.

I gave him a small smile, "Today is our anniversary, Natsu always takes me stargazing. Every year." It had been nine years since I had known Natsu and two since we had finally, _finally_ realized our feelings for each other.

I still remember how Natsu confessed to me. I was surprised that he made the first move, to say the least, I never expected Natsu to be aware of any sort of emotional connection beyond friendship and family.

But it wasn't like I didn't return the sentiments.

 _I loved Natsu._

 _It just took me years to realize it._

"Oh… It doesn't look like you will be able to go stargazing tonight." Happy murmured, deciding to drop his easy weight on my head, also staring out at the storm.

"Yeah. I guess I'm a little upset." I shrugged as he yawned, before attempting to cheer me up with his optimistic personality, "You shouldn't be upset! You and Natsu can go out as soon as it clears."

A loud crack of thunder made me jump, as I shook away the disappointment and plastered on a grin.

 _Even if we couldn't go star gazing, it wasn't the end of the world. I still was blissfully happy with someone I cared about._

"It might take a while for things to clear up but I won't let that get me down!"

"Aye Sir!" He chirped happily, balancing himself on the top of my head easily as I made myself a cup of tea. The kitchen was cold, almost freezing with the draft of cold air rolling in. I had the funny idea to light up a fire in the fireplace when I realized I had a fire dragon slayer in the other room.

I sipped from my mug gingerly, loving the feeling of warmth it left as it slid down my throat. I treaded carefully, mindful of Happy's slouched body, not paying any attention to how his nails scratched against my scalp a little.

My toes stung slightly against the cold floorboards, as I opened my bedroom door. The warmth that hit me was a drug, something that reminded me of _safety_ , _peace_ and _comfort._

I took a long gulp of my tea and crept into the room, trying not to wake Natsu up. He was a fairly heavy sleeper most of the times but lately, he had been able to wake up with the slightest creak or soft whistle.

After setting my mug down and placing Happy on the bed to find his spot, I crawled underneath the toasty cover with a pleased sigh. My cold toes brushed against Natsu's calf muscles, making him jerk slightly as I smiled a little.

He grumbled, the noise playful and affectionate. I flipped onto my side, arranging the pillows as I felt him shift and move closer behind me. A moment later, two arms looped around my body, pulling me flush against his warm, toned frame.

His head tucked into my neck, sniffing softly before blowing a warmth breath. It gave me a multitude of goosebumps, but I just snuggled back against him with a sleepy yawn.

"Sorry we couldn't go stargazing tonight Luce, I'll make it up to you." He murmured and I settled, using my hands to tighten his grip around me. He gave me a soft squeeze, as I whispered, "It's okay Natsu, you can't change the weather. Plus, all that matters is that we are together."

He was quiet for a few minutes before murmuring, "That was really deep Lucy." I tried to stop the smile as his fingers shifted against my stomach, giving the skin there, a delicate tickle.

I bit my lip, "Shut up."

He snickered, pressing a soft kiss to my neck as I closed my eyes, letting his warmth and smoky scent surround me.

* * *

 _"Lucy!_ " My name was called softly, as well as a soft shake that stirred me from my sleep. I opened my eyes groggily, finding Natsu's face a few spaces from mine. It was still very dark, if the shadows and lack of light in the room told me anything. But I could see Natsu's excited grin and wicked gleam in his eyes very clearly.

"Natsu?" I blinked, my brain working too slowly to figure any of these clues out. He tugged me out of bed, making me groan as I yawned, "What? What is it?" He left me sitting on the edge of the bed, and in the almost black room, I could make out him grabbing something from my closet and tossing it to me, "Put that on. Quick."

I yawned, taking my damn time to pull the soft fabric on, which I soon figured out was some sort of long poncho. I pushed the stray hairs out of my face, picking the sleep from my eyes as I asked, "What's going on Natsu? Has something happened?"

"Not yet." He murmured, rushing past me with his knapsack as I stood up, preparing to grab him and shake some answers out of him. But he dodged my sluggish movements with ease and just whispered, his smile full of anticipation and _excitement._

 _"Hold on."_

"Wha-" I began before squeaking when he quickly wrapped something over my eyes, so quickly that I was left stumbling. Then the world turned upside down.

" _Natsu?_ What the hell? Put me down!" I could feel his arm wrapped around the back of my knees, a possessive hand on my ass to keep me from toppling as I pressed my palms flat against his back, pushing my upper body up and steadying myself with one hand. I brought my other to the blindfold and tried to tug it off, cursing when it tightened.

"Stop fiddling with that, you'll ruin the surprise." He told me, his stride long and purposeful as I cried out, "I'll ruin you if you don't tell me what the heck is going on!"

"You're adorable." He remarked, and despite the blush that slowly crept up my neck, I still cursed him, "I swear to _god_ Natsu Dragneel, if I am not on my feet in the next five seconds, there is going to be _pain_ on some part of your body."

He ignored me.

I let out an angered scream, beginning to struggle - _why hadn't I struggled in the first place?_ \- as he murmured, "Alright, alright. Stop squirming, damn." The world flipped again but at least I could feel solid ground again. I felt cool earth, dirt and grass against my bare feet. I made a face of confusion, trying to pull the blind fold off as he slapped my hands away gently, "If I had known you were gonna grope my ass, I would have tossed you over my shoulder sooner."

I could feel his grin directed at me, without the use of sight and it made me pout, "I only touched there for my _survival._ "

"Sure Lucy, sure." He cackled, his voice deep and amused as I huffed, "Can you just get this dumb thing off me already?"

"Stop making weird faces and I will." He taunted, chuckling when my cheeks burned brighter. I bit my lip to stop the spew of insults wanting to burst out, figuring I'd just smack him around a bit when he took the blindfold off and gave me my vision back. The cloth loosened and I felt him grasp my hips, giving me a quick turn as the fabric slowly fell away from my eyes. I had to blink a few times to adjust to the light but when I did, my eyes widened in shock. We were in the Celestial Spirit World.

Beautiful shades of blue, green and purple greeted my sight, the stars shining so bright, it almost hurt to stare. I gaped at the millions of galaxies and planets surrounding us, the deep endlessly sea of silver stars as far as I could see. I had been in the Celestial Spirit World before, more than once, but I had never seen it this vibrant. It was _beautiful._

"I've been plannin' this thing since last week." Natsu told me, as I looked down, noticing the spherical planet we were on. It was essentially just a ball covered with soft dirt, and grass. It felt lovely against my feet.

"I had a feeling it was gonna' rain, ya see? And so I gave Loke a job, to ask the King if we could borrow a planet for the night. He said yes, after makin' me promise that I wouldn't wrestle with ya." I turned towards him as he frowned in displeasure, as if he _had_ been planning to wrestle me here. But I didn't care, because I noticed the knapsack at his feet, which had a wine bottle poking out of the top, then around me again. Then I looked at him, tears clouding my eyes as he grinned, scratching the back of his neck, "That looks like a happy Lucy face. Did I do good?"

I laughed and jumped at him, he caught me easily and gave me a soft squeeze as I whispered, "You did, amazing. I love you."

"Love you too Lucy."

* * *

 **Another day done!**


	3. Prompt Three: Cuddling

**Nalu Fluff Week 2016.**

 **Prompt: CUDDLING.**

 **Rating: K**

 **Word Count: 1,577.**

* * *

"Come in Happy, do you read me, over?" I whispered into the walkie-talkies that I had purchased last week as an impulse buy. I had the thought as I was handing over the jewels, _why was I buying this?_

I was immensely glad I had found a use for them.

I was stationed outside the guild hall, flicking on the _private_ channel which meant not even dragon slayers could overhear our conversation. I just hoped Happy remembered to do it as well. The line buzzed then clicked, as I heard Happy's voice reply, "That's not my code-name, _beautiful one,_ over." I grinned at the code name I had given myself, despite the fact that when I told Happy, he said it was a terrible code name since it wasn't true.

I then sighed, when I remember Happy's appointed code-name.

"Come in, Ruler of the Fish, do you read me, over?"

It took him a second to reply, but when he did, I could hear his excited grin, "Ruler of the Fish, reads you loud and clear, over."

I rolled my eyes before asking, giving a few concerned citizens the 'move-along' stare when they glanced at me nervously. I mean, I was crouched behind a bush just a few feet away from the guild doors, but whatever. Full immersion was needed in this mission of extreme importance.

"Is the target in sight? I repeat, do you have eyes on the target? Over."

Happy and I had argued over the mission name for a good two hours before both agreeing we would call it, 'Operation Stealth Fireball.' Whilst it wasn't the most impressive name, it was the only thing we could agree on. Which was ironic since I had said it, as a joke.

"Beautiful one? Are you there? Over." I snapped out of my thoughts to whisper back, my legs beginning to get a little sore from crouching for so long.

"Yes, Ruler of the Fish, repeat what you said, over."

"The target is sitting at the bar with Ice-Cream and Strawberry Shortcake, over." I grinned at the code-names we had picked out for our friends, without them knowing. I almost giggled when I remember Happy's slip up yesterday and he called Erza, 'Strawberry Shortcake' to her face.

"Is the target distracted? Over."

"The target seems to be completely oblivious... and he looks pretty dumb too. Over." He snickered and I joined him childishly before stating, "Alright, phase one is now in progress Ruler of all Fish. Let me know when everything is ready. Over."

"Aye beautiful one!" He whispered back excitedly and we both clicked off the channel, as I crept towards the back entrance of the guild, staying low and heading for the door that connected to the bar. I counted to fifteen once I got to the door and slipped in, watching quietly as Mira walked out of the stock room, right on time. Excitement and adrenaline coursed through me, making my hands shake as the radio on the walkie-talkie clicked on then whispered, "Come in beautiful one, the feathers are ready. I repeat, the feathers are ready. Over."

I fumbled to whisper back, hiding behind the door as Lisanna passed by with a tray full of plates.

"Copy that, Ruler of the Fish, distract Strawberry Shortcake while I begin phase two. Over." He mumbled back his reply, and I clicked onto the second line, whispering, while rolling my eyes, "Gray-sama's One Love, come in."

"Gray-sama's One Love is reporting for duty! Over!" Her chirpy voice almost screamed back and I giggled at her excitement, "Alright, phase two is now in affect. Distract and separate Ice-Cream from the bar. Over."

"It is a mission I will gladly take, beautiful one. Over and out."

I listened closely and smiled as I heard Juvia wail, "Gray-sama! I love _yoooou!_ " I then heard Gray swear roughly and the sound of a bar stool tipping over, no doubt in his attempt to escape the rain woman's clutches. I rushed to the adjoining door, that lead out to behind the bar and bit my lip, hoping that Happy had successfully distracted Erza enough. Which just left Mira and Lisanna to do what they normally did.

 _Gossip._

The door opened and I squeezed to the wall as they walked past, heading towards the stock room once again, oblivious to my hiding spot, "Elfman just needs to ask her out, already! It's getting really sad!"

"Lisanna, these things take time." Mira patted her sister on the head with a lovely giggle, as they both disappeared into the stockroom, the door sliding shut behind them. I snatched the walkie-talkie out of my pockets, listening to the upcoming commotion from the guild hall. In that second where I was hearing the end of Happy's conversation with Erza, successfully moving her away from the 'splash-zone', I remember Natsu's words from a week ago.

 _"Lucy..." He grinned down at my pouting face, lifting my chin up with two fingers so we stared into each others eyes, "You can't prank a dragon slayer, I would hear you coming from a mile away."_

A smile grew on my lips as Juvia's voice buzzed through the radio, "Beautiful One, the fire-proof glue is ready!" I hoped she was far-away from Natsu as she said this, or at least had clicked on the _private_ channel.

I then clicked onto the other private channel to catch the end of Happy's message, "Strawberry Shortcake is distracted, I repeat, Strawberry Shortcake is distracted. Get him!"

I tucked the walkie-talkie away, listening to Natsu's laughter grow louder at Gray's hopeless shouts as Juvia probably threw herself at him. I took a deep breath in, and yanked the door open, just as Happy shouted, "Go! _Go go go go!"_ Natsu kept laughing but turned towards me, his eyes going wide as the two ropes from the ceiling dropped down perfectly from where I was standing. My grin widened a little more, as I pulled the right, then the left, watching in pure satisfaction as the glue tipped over his first, wet and clear until it began to thicken and stick. Then the feathers came down, in an assortment of colors.

Red, yellow, green, blue and pink, decorated his body, speedily sticking to his skin.

He just gaped at me, at loss of words as I smiled innocently, "Thought you said I couldn't prank a dragon slayer?" I let go of the ropes, noticing the roaring laughter of the guild as Juvia clapped cheerfully, releasing Gray for a moment as Happy flew to my side, pulling out his walkie-talkie. I also pulled out mine, and pointed behind him.

He turned around to see Juvia waving hers proudly, before bringing his eyes back to Happy and I.

"I'm pretty sure, I just did."

* * *

I smiled as Natsu climbed into my bed, after a four hour bath and the raw scrubbing to get all the glue off his skin. He had laughed, then grumbled, then complained about it from the moment he got over his shock at the guild, but accepted defeat. I turned over and directed my smile at him as he fiddled with a pink feather, running his fingers over the softness.

"You really put a lot of effort into this." He murmured, scooting closer and wrapping his legs between mine as I laughed, moving my hand up to play with the hair around his ears, tugging lightly and massaging the scalp there.

"We wanted it to be perfect. You should have seen Juvia's face when I asked her to help out. I don't think she had ever been invited to do a prank before." I told him as his eyes found mine, amusement and something much more tender in those beautiful dark eyes of his, "Did Happy come up with the code-names?"

I stilled, looking at him confusedly, "I didn't tell you we had code names."

He shrugged a little, opting to run the feather down my bare waist, stopping at my hip then going back up. It gave me a delighted tingle as he murmured, "I overheard him saying 'Strawberry Shortcake and Beautiful One.' I wasn't really paying attention to notice anything else."

I giggled, shying away from the feather that lingered around my ribs, "Erza was Strawberry Shortcake. Gray was Ice-Cream. Juvia was Gray-sama's One Love and Happy was Ruler of the Fish."

He chuckled, "And you were beautiful one?"

I blushed and gave a little shrug, playing coy, "Well, naturally."

He leaned over me to place the feather on my bedside table, brushing his lips over my ear as I squirmed closer to his heat, sliding my legs against his. He wrapped his arms around me, settling to rub soft circles into my lower back.

"You are some sort of weird, Lucy." He murmured, pressing a kiss to my forehead as I closed my eyes, yawning, "Yeah, but you like it."

I could feel his smile directed at me, until I melted away in his warm embrace, content to cuddle with him for as long as I could.

* * *

 ** _fin._**

 **Leave me some love guys!**

 **~ xo freshprincess.**


	4. Prompt Four: Festival

**Nalu Fluff Week 2016.**

 **Prompt: FESTIVAL**

 **Rating: T (mild swearing)**

 **Word Count: 1,162.**

* * *

"Natsu! Hey, talk to me!"

My head throbbed as I groaned a little, Lucy's worried voice ripping through me. Her sweet vanilla scent flooded my nose, offering a mere second of relief before the pain pressed harder against my temple.

I could feel her hands on my shoulders, sort of small and tiny, gripping tightly. I wondered if she was resisting the urge to shake me.

 _Knowing Luce, she would definitely want to._

"Just shut up Gray! What were you thinking? He could have gotten seriously injured! It's a miracle he doesn't have a broken neck." Lucy sounded upset, and with the way she shouted at Gray, I knew that she was passed caring about what she looked like or the threat of Juvia "defending" Gray to the bitter end.

 _Ugh, that frosty stripper was there?_

"Lucy…" I murmured, clenching my eyes closer together as her grip on my shoulders lessened and her voice became softer, a tone that almost lulled me to sleep.

"Natsu? Are you okay?"

My limbs felt heavy, but I managed to lift one of my arms to press against my head, wincing at the goose egg I found there.

"Head hurts and my back, fuck, my back feels like shit."

"Does anywhere else hurt?" She asked, her voice strained for calmness as I tensed my muscles, starting with my calves and going upwards, shaking my head, "A little sore but not hurting."

"Can you open your eyes?"

 _Ask for much Luce..._ I thought vaguely with a instinct to whine at her that I pushed away.

I grunted in reply, pulling my hand away from my head as I slowly opened my eyes. The light that flooded my sight made me wince and close them again before taking it one eye at a time, blinking for a few long moments to adjust to the dizzying flashing lights.

I find myself staring into two deep chocolate eyes, wide with worry and uncertainty. Her teeth bit into her full lower lip, hovering over me protectively and her hair fell around her face in long silky strands.

 _God she's beautiful._

The ends of her lovely blonde hair tickled my bare collarbone, making something warm do a somersault in my stomach as she asked, eyes glistening with a lingering of upset tears, "Do you remember what happened?"

I blinked, before clearing my throat and trying to remember what had happened. From what I could tell, I was on the ground.

The loud music blasted from the speakers around me, only causing my headache to worsen as excited shouts, chatter vibrated through my eardrums and the smell of candy, sweaty humans, deep-fried food and vomit almost overwhelmed my nose.

 _Where were we?_

The answer swam to me swiftly, the Akane Festival. I remembered Erza and Lucy talking about how exciting it was going to be, fighting with Gray over who would eat the most food.

And when we got here… Gray had offered me a challenge I didn't want to resist despite Lucy's worried glance.

 _But I couldn't remember what._

"I don't know how I ended up on the floor." I told her truthfully as she slouched her shoulders forwards, "Gray took you on the Ferris Wheel. I tried to tell you "no" but you were already gone by the time I turned around. From what he tells me, you guys started a brawl in those tiny pods and then you fell out."

I gawked, "I fell out?"

She nodded with a frown, "Yes, you somehow hit the safety lock and the door opened. Gray tried to grab you but…" She closed her eyes as I slowly closed my mouth, watching her as she stated with a trembling voice, "The Ferris Wheel owner should have known that the pod's safety lock was broken. It's dangerous. The doors shouldn't open when the Ferris Wheel is in motion!"

"Lucy-" I tried to sit up but the sharp pain down my spine halted me as she let go of my shoulders, "And you shouldn't have been fighting with Gray in the first place! You should have stayed with me! Who cares if you beat Gray if you get seriously hurt in the process!"

"Luce…" I winced as she tightened her fists, sitting back on her ass from her crouched position beside me. A pinch of salt filled my senses, mixing with her sweet scent and I swear I felt my heart give a guilty squeeze.

"How stupid do you have to be to fight on a freaking Ferris Wheel, especially one of that age! I honestly wonder what goes through your head sometimes Natsu!" She let out an angry sob as I endured the pain of sitting up, ignoring the eyes staring at us.

"Lucy… Look at me." She shook her head stubbornly, trying to wipe the tears away with white, clenched fists. My heart dropped to my stomach in regret at how distressed I had made her, reaching out to lightly touch her arms.

The next thing she said was a soft whisper, "You fell _fifty feet_ Natsu. You shouldn't even be talking right now."

 _Fifty feet?_ I glanced upwards, at the tallest point of the Ferris Wheel and winced, _yeah, I was really lucky that I wasn't…_

I turned back to Lucy, more guilt and shame ripping through me as she brushed her hands over her arms a few times, biting her lip to stop the sob I could hear in the back of her throat.

"Lucy, I-" My words cut off as she scrambled into my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck as I breathed her beautiful scent in, letting the vanilla and soft hint of lilies surround me. I wrapped my sore arms around her back loosely, my muscles not really feeling up to the challenge of giving her a squeeze.

 _Which was a shame, since squeezing Lucy was one of my favorite thing to do._

I brushed my lips against her neck as she nuzzled her head into the corner of my shirt, sniffling and probably wiping a mixture of snot and tears into the fabric. I didn't care, _much._

"I heard you yell at Gray. Makes me wish I had stayed asleep for longer so I could have heard more." I told her and she laughed pitifully, "Just because you almost died, doesn't mean I won't smack you."

I squeezed a little, groaning softly at the current of pain that echoed down my neck, spine and muscles.

"Lucy… I'm sorry for scaring ya."

She was quiet for a few movements until she sighed, "It's okay... Just don't let it happen again."

"Aye sir."

* * *

 **what even is this.**

 **I swear it said _fluff_ not mild meh.**

 **I struggled with this prompt a fair bit.**

 **See you tomorrow~**


	5. Prompt Five: Matching

**Nalu Fluff Week 2016.**

 **Prompt: MATCHING**

 **Rating: T (just for the little bits)**

 **Words: 1,062.**

* * *

"Change Natsu, I'm not kidding around."

"You change! I chose this costume out first!" He met my glare, staring down at me with his ridiculous height and I narrowed my eyes at him, "Really? Because I _swear,_ I said a week ago that I was going dressed a giant Happy for Halloween!"

"I don't remember that."

"That's because you don't listen!" I hissed, turning around and stomping towards the bedroom, deciding that I would choose his new costume _myself._

He followed me noisily, "You were half naked in the kitchen Lucy, would you rather I listen to you or do that thing you like with my fingers?"

I flushed, glad I was turned away from him so he couldn't see then growled, "I would rather you _listen._ "

"Liar."

I yanked the drawer of my dresser open with a feral growl of impatience and anger. I could feel his heat touch my back as he stepped into my comfort zone, completely oblivious to the chill he just gave me. I ignored him, riffling through the clothes for something decent, ignoring the clock on the wall that was informing us, we were _late._ That just annoyed me even more, because I was a punctual person. Natsu, wasn't.

"I can't believe you would pull this. I asked you multiple times during the week, _you aren't going as Happy are you?"_ I growled, my elbow flailing back into his ribs. He made a noise of pain as I continued, mimicking his voice, " _No Luce, I'm not going as Happy._ Sometimes I wonder if you do this on purpose!"

He made a non-committal noise in the back of his throat, something that surprised me as I stilled, my eyes narrowing at the pair of socks in my hand. I turned around, clenching my hand around the soft cotton as he took a step back, his lips quirking as I snarled, "Did you do this on purpose?"

He didn't answer, his dark eyes full of something evil and guilty.

"Natsu Dragneel, you _better_ answer me." My cheeks flared with an angry red, as my mind swam for a reason _why_ he had done this.

 _Why did he leave our bedroom, in the exact same costume I was in?_

 _Because he wanted us to be matching?_

 _Why?_

"Before you yell even more..." He began and I clutched the pair of socks in my hands even tighter, feeling my heart race with adrenaline as he smirked a little, "Can you blame me?"

I let out a cry of anger, throwing the socks at him as he dodged it with a wicked cackle.

"Why? _Why would you do this?_ _ **What**_ _is wrong with you?"_ I shrieked madly as he flinched at the pitch my voice became, but that maddening smirk on his lips never left. In fact, it reached his eyes and I felt something inside me ache at how attractive it made him. Pity I was about to _strangle_ him.

"You won't like the answer." He murmured, dark eyes staring me down as I leaned up, arms crossed over my chest and eyes narrowed in an award winning death glare. I could practically image his head _exploding_ if I focused hard enough, "Tell. Me."

He cleared his throat, running a hand through his wild hair and shrugged, "You are insanely hot when you get fired up."

Shock consumed me, because out of all the things, he could have said... That was not one of them I had imagined. I stared up at him, blinking a few times before sneering, "Are you _flipping_ serious? You did this, so I would get angry with you?"

Another shrug, my palm itched.

"Like I said, I like seeing you worked up and feisty."

I bit my lip, hiding my wild snarl that threatened to appear on my face as I murmured, "I see..."

He watched me closely before I brought my hand up and smacked his arm, then his chest, then his forehead.

"You _pulled this crap so you could get a boner?"_ I screamed lividly, as he began dodging my hits, focusing so much on deflecting my attacks that he didn't notice the wall behind him. He stepped into it, knocking his head against the painting I had hung up. I took a deep breath in, lowering my shaking hand and stated seriously, "Natsu, I promise you this. I won't be getting naked for the next _year,_ if you don't change your damn costume, right _now._ "

His eyes darkened and before I could tell him, _don't even think about it,_ he grabbed my hips and pulled my body to his. Our lips pressed against each other firmly, and I almost groaned at the way he kissed me. Wild, wet and incorrigible. My hands dived into his hair, tugging and pulling as his hands wrapped around my lower back, one sliding a bit further to give my behind a soft squeeze. He ran his teeth along my bottom lip, nibbling softly with a low growl buried in his chest. Heat filled me, twisting, burning, tugging down my body, making my toes crinkle and my fingertips tingle as our lips moved against each others hungrily.

The kiss consumed my rational thought, until I felt the soft brush of his 'Happy Hoodie' when I grabbed the back of his neck. My eyes snapped open and I pushed away from him, opening my mouth to yell at him some more, _mainly because he had successfully distracted me,_ but he kissed my cheek and smirked, "I've got another costume in the bathroom, I'll go put that on. Is that okay, Mistress?"

I inwardly blanched at the pet name, settling for glaring at him as he strolled away. Once the door clicked shut, I pressed my burning forehead to the cool plaster, shaking my head as my lips ached a little. I tried to squash down the smile that began to spread over my lips, I tried so very hard.

But it didn't work.

"I'm still angry at you." I called and I heard his chuckle, "Good. I'm not done kissing you."

I rolled my eyes and sighed softly, _idiot._

* * *

 **Baguette on my level.**


	6. Prompt Six: Pregnancy

**Nalu Fluff Week 2016**

 **Prompt: PREGNANCY**

 **Rating: T (violence)**

 **Words: 2,479.**

* * *

I walked into the nursery, a hand pressed to my back as tears flowed uselessly down my cheeks. The soft afternoon glow of a setting sun peeked in from the window, keeping it just bright enough that I could see the peach colored walls, the small cot and matching white dresser, and the disarray of toys scattered around the floor. I smiled a little at the plush dragon Happy had gotten a few days ago, remembering that Natsu had bought the exact same one a while back. Hence why the toys were strewn all over the place, instead of sitting neatly in their little toy box in the corner.

Natsu never did find the other dragon soft toy, which prompted Happy to say he was just "making things up."

I squatted softly, feeling my belly become heavier the further I got down but scooped the dragon up, and walked over to the wall. The rocking chair called my focus for a minute, because it would probably be smarter to sit someone where I was sure I could actually get up afterwards. I sighed, changing my short route so I could settle into chair, feeling it sway lightly with my weight. I brushed the tears away from my cheeks, annoyed that it only caused more to replace them.

I wish I could _forget._

I wish I didn't remember why I was crying.

I wish I wasn't _crying_ in the first place.

It seemed like all I ever did was cry nowadays, tears of joy when Natsu finally tried to do the dishes instead of leaving me to do it, tears of annoyance when Happy decided to call my round body "whale-ish". Tears of hunger when my favorite biscuits where all sold out at the supermarket and then tears of loneliness when Natsu offered to run to the next town to go get them.

 _Damn hormones._

I sighed, my heart giving a dull squeeze, as I remembered what had sparked me off this time. I tightened my hands on the plush, remembering Gray's sharp words towards Natsu, anger ripping through me before shock and sadness replaced it, because I had stepped in to intervene and his harsh words were focused on me.

He hadn't said anything horrible.

I had heard it all before, but the way he said it, was vicious. Gray was one of my closest friends, we had been through a lot together. I helped him finally realize his feelings for Juvia and when he continued to smoke, I kept a look out for Erza for him.

 _"Christ Lucy, don't get me started at how irresponsible you both are! Neither of you are ready to be parents yet!"_

His voice bounced around in my head, as the guild went eerily quiet, shocked of what he said.

I, however, was _pissed off._

 _"Who are you to decide if we are 'ready' or not? Newsflash Gray, you don't know anything of mine or Natsu's parental capacities."_

I could see Erza, in the back of my mind, walking over to where we both were standing, Natsu still in a shape of shock. Her eyes were narrowed, as if she could see the crash before it happened and intended to stop it.

 _"Right. Because a guy who doesn't even remember his real parents, and a girl who lost both of hers, is going to work out great."_

Mira gasped his name in shock at the statement, dropping a glass but it was all background noise. Erza was fast approaching, Natsu was slowly beginning to growl protectively (an odd trait I had asked about and got a shrug in return) and I wanted this _over_ with.

I didn't want to stoop to his level, I was unsure as to what we had done to make him so angry - he had just yelled at Natsu out of nowhere and when I noticed the vicious aura he had, I knew I had to step in - and would have never mention the fact that _he_ was orphaned as well.

I remember walking towards him, my first curled as tears began to prick at my eyes. When my voice came out, I could barely hear myself speak but it was steady. Steady and patient, as if addressing a small child that had pitched a fit. What Gray said, hurt me more than words could imagine. I didn't realize the pain you got when someone used something they knew in confidence, against you. Especially if you were close to that someone.

 _"I think, before you start judging your_ _ **friends**_ _past experiences and dominant personality traits, you should take a long look in the mirror. Wanna know why I believe with all my heart that Natsu will be a great Dad, despite losing_ _ **Igneel**_ _who was his real father."_

He never asked why, but Erza was finally next to Natsu, watching us closely. I could feel Natsu's pinned stare on my back, no doubt listening to my quiet words. I hadn't meant to put Gray down and air dirty laundry, I was a born and bred Heartfilia woman. It was basically taboo to let anyone know your secrets.

 _"Because he doesn't bury his feelings down a ditch and hope that no one will notice he actually cares. Natsu's wears his heart on his sleeve, he loves openly and wildly. Maybe you should learn how to do that, instead of taking your own insecurities out against us."_

Then I had left.

I pushed Natsu away when he tried to soothe me, waved at Erza with a pained smile and walked out. I held the plush to my chest, wondering when Happy would be back from his mission. He normally lets me squeeze him if I'm feeling particularly _emotionally leaky,_ but he had left on a job with Wendy and Carla two days ago. I pushed the chair off gently with my feet, letting the soothing pattern wash over me as I let my tears fall freely, heart aching at the pain of essentially losing a friend.

I didn't know what had happened to Gray but in the last second of talking to him, I saw pinched desperation, shock and his own fear. I couldn't help but wonder where Juvia was, she wasn't at the guild hall and I hadn't seen her around. _Maybe out on a job?_

A noise made me look up as the window slowly opened, revealing Happy in all his blue furred glory, dropping a bag on the floor. He hadn't noticed me yet, and I felt a sob build up in my throat as he pulled out three new toys, a soft fish plush, a baby rattle and a mini exceed. He went to place them in the toy box when he caught sight of me, head tilting confusedly, "Lucy? Why are you sitting in the dark?"

"I just felt like it..." My voice was watery, despite the smile on my lips at his persistence to give my little girl as many toys as he could before she arrived. He floated over to me, shaking his fur a little, and peered at me curiously, "Are you okay? Why are you crying?"

I shrugged a little, and he noticed the dragon plush in my hands.

"Are you feeling sad because you realized that you are now _stuck_ with Natsu? I would be sad as well." He teased and I laughed a little, the noise coming out broken and tired. He plopped himself on my lap, looking at me with tender large eyes, "Are you... _hormonal?_ "

I burst out laughing at that, the sound mixed with wild sobbing and my own misery. _Was I just being hormonal? Was I making a big deal of what Gray said?_

I couldn't tell but my horrible dying sounds didn't stop Happy from tugging the dragon out of my hands, and settling onto my large stomach, letting me stroke and squeeze him a little for comfort. We sat there for god knows how long, and eventually, my tears stopped. The pain lessened, and the room slowly grew dark when I fell asleep to the sound of Happy's light purring.

When I jolted awake, it was completely dark, but a few candles had been lit near the window and on the dresser. My feet were pleasantly warm, one of them receiving treatment of the gods as strong fingers pressed and rubbed the sore spots along the arch of my left foot. I gazed down at the messy pink hair, Happy sound asleep on my belly as he murmured, "Hey Luce."

"Hi."

He was quiet for a few long moments, causing all his attention to go on my poor little foot, which wasn't a bad thing, let me tell you.

"My ankles are so fat." I whispered, as two dark green eyes lifted up to glance up at mine, a smile tweaking on his serious face.

"They look exactly the same." He told me as I shook my head, "Nope, they are definitely larger. I feel like the earth shakes when I stomp around."

He snorted, "It did that before, Luce."

I had noticed, Natsu really didn't call me any pet names. Luce, was pretty much his go-to name for me, sometimes it was Lucy if he was teasing or we were in a semi serious fight about silly things.

I pouted at him, as he lifted my foot and gave it a soft kiss on the ankle, before switching feet.

"Erza is coming by tomorrow morning." He told me, and I sighed, "I guess I expected that."

He nodded, starting at my big toe and working his thumbs down the tender skin there, "Mira, Cana and Levy as well."

I almost laughed, _they were so ridiculous._

"Even Gajeel is bringing some of his "pot-pie" tomorrow night, whatever the hell that is." He sounded uneasy, as if he had more news to give but couldn't be quite sure on how to say it. I waited patiently, Natsu was not one to respond while being rushed.

"Did you really mean what you said? That I'd be a great Dad?"

I nodded surely, "I never doubted it Natsu, even when I found out we were pregnant, I knew you'd be able to handle it."

He stopped massaging my feet and instead chose to place both of his hands around my ankles, staring at my feet in thought before stating, "I think you are going to be an amazing mom. You aren't... He didn't make you doubt yourself, did he?" I almost started crying because I knew that conversations like these weren't Natsu's strong points but he was honestly trying. Instead of just consoling me, he was making sure he knew what I was thinking first.

 _He must be reading the 'think, decide then act' book I gave him._

"I did at first. But I know a drowning man when I see one. Something happened that made him snap like that, he was desperate for someone else to be the villain. I guess he chose me when I defended you." I shrugged a little, stroking my hands through Happy's fur once more. He gave a little purr as Natsu murmured, "Yeah, I don't think he's really... stable right now. Elfman is taking him to the hospital, now. You were amazing tonight Luce, so calm and courageous. It's one of the reasons why I fell in love with you, when the moment needs it, you really can give someone hell in the softest way possible."

I smiled a little, "I love you too Natsu..." But then something clicked, "Wait, did you say hospital? Why would he need to go to the hospital?"

Natsu was quiet and I squinted my eyes, paying more attention to his disheveled clothes, hunched back and the faint smell of blood coming off him. I leaned forward before gasping a little in pain when my belly refused to let me go to far.

"Don't do that, you could squash her."

"Natsu..." My voice shook when I finally noticed the bloody knuckles, as he tightened his grip on my ankles a little, "He had no _right_ to say anything like that Lucy. No fucking right. And he made you cry. I've hit someone for a lot less."

I stared down at him before noticing Happy was awake, looking at his best friend with worry in his eyes.

"Erza was there. So was Gajeel. I wasn't thinking straight... I just knew he had hurt you, I didn't really care about his opinion about my 'real parents', because I know who is my Dad and who isn't. But fuck, what am I supposed to do when one of my closest friends, makes the woman I love, cry and insults her?"

Tears prickled to my eyes as he shook his head, releasing my ankles, "I broke his nose, and maybe two ribs. Definitely fractured something in his right leg. Half way into the fight, he just stopped. He stopped fighting and let me hit him, it was pathetic."

"Babe..." I whispered, reaching my hands out as he balanced on his knees, grabbing my hands with his. His shoulders sagged a little in relief, as if he had expected me to push him away. I wasn't sure how I felt about him fighting Gray, normally it was a means of stress relief but this was about a fight I had with Gray. It sat in my mind funny because it felt like he was fighting my own fights for me.

"Erza didn't really say anything, she just stared down at him and told Gajeel to get Elfman. Then patted me on the back and sent me home." He laughed roughly, "First time she's ever praised me for a fight."

I brought his hands up to my lips and lightly kissed around the marks, as Happy nuzzled his arm. He moved closer to us and I placed one of his hands on my belly. He sighed, "I wouldn't have really _hurt_ him. I was just..."

"I know." I whispered, kissing his palm softly, "You were just being a protective Dad."

He pressed his mouth to my belly, a smile making my heart flutter, "You think?

"Natsu, the poor child is going to be reduced to a plastic bubble, if she ever decides to show up."

 _"Can you get those?"_

I laughed, "Natsu, don't even think about it."

* * *

 **dammit, long enough?**

 **support my writing, if you would be so kind :3**

 **maybe fund me a little, if you don't mind :)**

 **xo freshprincess**


	7. Prompt Seven: Family Life Married

**Nalu Fluff Week.**

 **FINAL DAY: Family Life/ Marriage**

 **Rating: T (mild swearing, a lil bit of innuendo)**

 **Word Count: 3,952.**

 **This follows my previous entry to Day 6, so it's more of a two shot.**

* * *

I blinked at Natsu, shocked. He blinked back, before his eyes slowly fell to the ground. I followed his stare, speechless as Leila smiled up at us, toothless and innocent. Happy was sitting beside her, perfectly comfortable with letting our little girl pull on his ears and make soft garbled noises into the fur on his head. I noticed the tiniest bit of drool leak onto the blue cat's forehead, but he just wiped it away and continued to let her cuddle him.

"Did she just..."

Natsu's strangled voice made me look back up to him, and I gulped, "I think so..."

"Did you hear what she said?"

I shook my head slowly, as he frowned, "Neither did I... But I was so sure..."

"So was I... I heard something." I glanced around, looking for anything to explain the soft mutter we both had heard, one that we thought had been Leila's first word.

Natsu tugged on his scarf anxiously as I reached down to detach Leila from Happy, holding her to my hip. She made a happy noise and I smiled, noticing that Natsu's shoulders relaxed as soon as I smiled. His own one played on his lips as he ran a hand over our little girls head, the odd pearl shade almost too light against her fair skin tone. Even though she was only 7 months old, I had been worried when she hadn't begun talking as soon as the books had explained. When I stressed over it to Natsu, he did the exact opposite of what he normally does, and freaked out also.

I shrugged as Leila tried to bat her dad's hand away from her thinly covered scalp, her brown eyes staring up at me in a silent question as she attempted to jam as many of her fingers into her mouth as possible. I laughed, pulling her hand out and pressed my cheek against hers, "I don't think it was her... Happy, did you hear anything?"

He shook his head, hovering beside us as I began to bounce her on my hip, "I only heard her normal weird noises."

I gave Natsu a smile as he pulled lightly on Leila's ear, making her squeak softly and laugh. We both laughed along with her as she grabbed Natsu's hand and stuck his fingers in her mouth. I giggled at Natsu's playfully disgusted look, "You just had to do that, didn't you Lei? Daddy's fingers have to be put into your mouth, where your own foot has been at one point." Leila drooled and slurped at his fingers in response as he shook his head, pulling his hand out of her mouth.

Her eyes got wider, and pouted at him. I stifled my laughter as he looked away, shaking his head, "You got that from your mother." I noticed the way his hands twitched, as if ready to willingly give them back to her as I took her small hand in mine, cooing softly, "I think you are almost there, my little sweet-pea. Almost to the point where Daddy can't say no to you." She giggled wildly, as I bounced her up and down softly, her hand latching onto mine tightly. She pulled my hand towards her mouth and I noticed Natsu stare at her expectantly, but my fingers never met the inside of her mouth. Instead she pressed her lips against them, and made a loud, very garbled _'mwah'_ noise.

I smiled as Natsu openly complained with a loud whine of disbelief, "You got _that_ from your father."

She had probably picked that up from Natsu, who had made it a thing, every morning he gave my lips a kiss, then each one of my fingers.

It made my heart melt a little that my own daughter had decided to do it as well.

"We should go to the guild today, Erza has been getting antsy about seeing her." I told Natsu as I walked towards the nursery, dodging the robotic dog that Gajeel had gotten her as a gift. It had insulted Happy greatly, which I assumed was part of his master plan. Natsu followed me, bending down to pick up the dog and turn it off. Happy glared at the piece of technology unhappily as I turned the corner, ignoring Leila's incessant yanking on my hair. That normally meant she was hungry.

I felt drool leak out onto my shoulder and winced a little, adjusting her so I could pick up the hand towel from the changing station when Natsu grabbed it instead, and wiped my shoulder for me.

I smiled thankfully, settling down in the rocking chair as he replied, "I don't know... Gray might be there."

My smile vanished as Leila began to fuss and fidget in my arms, as a slight pain pressed against my forehead, "How is he?"

Natsu shook his head, eyes focused on our daughter who was now trying to pull my hair out from the scalp, "Not good. Juvia won't even speak with him."

We had found out, a short while after my fight with him, that the reason of his outburst, was the news of Juvia being pregnant. I had seen Juvia at the hospital, she had came with our closest friends when I gave birth to Leila, but I still hadn't talked to Gray. Everything had happened so fast, despite the doctor telling us I wouldn't be giving birth until October, Leila decided to come out a few weeks earlier, in mid September. Now that it was early November, Juvia was three months into her own pregnancy and Gray had been scarce at the guild.

Natsu kept in touch with him, from what I could tell, but every time I asked about it, he got a tired look on his face.

I brewed over the thought, rolling my eyes when I pulled my top down and his eyes glanced away from Leila to my bare nipple. Happy always made himself scarce when it was feeding time, whether it was because he was uncomfortable or _I was,_ I wasn't sure, but thankful nonetheless. I directed Leila's mouth to the peak, supporting her head as I murmured, "Maybe we should go... While Gray is there, I mean."

His eyes tore away from Leila's nipple, the interested look vanishing into a skeptical one, "Why? He's made it very clear, he doesn't care much for the pregnancy or Leila."

"He never said that." I told him softly, remembering what little details he had told me in bed one night.

"He also never even congratulated us Lucy. No card. No nothing."

I sighed, "I'm just saying, we can't avoid Gray forever. Well, Leila and I can't. You talk to him weekly, even if it's not much of a conversation. If he truly doesn't care about us as parents, or how we are doing, then he shouldn't care if we go visit the guild while he just so happens to be there."

I watched him as he tried to fight my logic inwardly, the faint tickle of Leila's throat working making my secret anxiety about not feeding her properly waste away. According to the doctor, a lot of new mom's weren't very comfortable or attentive during feeding time. I had made sure, I was always paying attention.

"Luce..."

I tilted my head at him, raising my eyebrow before pouting, "Come on Natsu, the guild is our family as well. I don't want to miss out on hanging out with them just because Gray couldn't care about me or Leila."

He sighed, eyeing my pout in petulant agreement, " _Fine._ We'll go. He might not even be there anyway."

I smiled, "Thank you."

"You are so unfair. How I'm going to deal with two of you giving me that pout and making your eyes big..." He muttered to himself as he left the room, shooting me a small grin as I giggled, listening to Leila's happy hum.

/-/

I noticed Natsu's protective stance, practically stomping in front of us, leading the way to the guild as I laughed, "Alright Commando, let's take a deep breath." Leila was happily cuddled in my arms, deciding that the stroller wasn't her favorite thing anymore. We had spent the last thirty minutes, putting her in the stroller, only to pull her back out when she began wailing. Natsu carried the big black bag of baby necessities. Something that Happy had dubbed, 'The Survival Kit'.

Unfortunately, Natsu had jumped on that nickname in a heartbeat and practically slept with the damn thing.

He only glanced back at me, eyes narrowed, "I take my job very seriously, please stay behind me civilian."

"Natsu, no role-playing in public." I stated playfully and watched his lips curve into a smirk. Happy made a disgusted noise from beside me, and Leila giggled, twisting in my arms a little to try and grab Happy's wings. I pulled her away a little, remembering the last time we had let her do that. Happy was not a fan of falling face first into the pavement, unsurprisingly.

Once we neared the door, he turned around swiftly and I halted, raising my eyebrow at him. He stepped closer, running a hand over Leila's head before kissing me softly on the lips. I returned the gentle affection before stating, "We are going to be fine. Stop worrying. You'll get frown lines, look older and make me leave you for a hotter, younger model." I winked as he chuckled, shaking his head at my words.

"God, I love you."

"God isn't the woman you sleep with every day." I reminded him before pecking his lips once more, "But I love you too. Now turn around so I can pinch your butt and we can get inside."

He grinned, turning around as I cooed to Leila, who giggled back and tried to catch my nose. She had succeeded once or twice, it was fairly impressive. He pushed the doors open and yelled, "We made it through the day _alive!_ " I smiled, feeling a pinch of nostalgia ripple through me as I heard the loud clanging sound of armor. Erza practically pushed Natsu out of the way, and I watched him flail and hit a table loudly. I smiled patiently at Erza as she observed Leila closely, who just yawned and mumbled some baby speak.

Erza practically melted, equipping into something a little more softer so I could give her Leila to hold. I handed her over softly, as Leila garbled, a little piece of snot catching my attention. I brushed it away with my thumb as Erza whispered, "How are you Lucy?" I had told her, so many times, that she didn't need to whisper unless Leila was asleep because Natsu was the worlds loudest man and happened to be her father, but she never listened.

"I'm good. Tired. We thought she spoke today but it was only our imagination." Erza nodded, clutching Leila protectively as a few other guild members crowded around. Leila ate the attention up, blinking her large eyes at Elfman and I watched, amused when he almost fell to his knees. Natsu sauntered over to us, handing me a drink and shook his head, "We need to have a serious discussion with her about those eyes."

She then pouted at Cana and Lisanna who both squealed, as Natsu cursed, "And that pout."

"She's a regular heart breaker. Soon, we'll have lines of guys lining up outside our door."

"There will be _no_ dating until she is forty."

"Natsu, _I'm_ not even forty."

"That's because you are effortlessly beautiful and I'm a scumbag. I'm a dirty greedy man that seduced you, I'm horrible really." He wore a smug expression on his face and I laughed, shaking my head and taking a sip of the drink he had gotten me, suddenly very sleepy now that Leila wasn't in my arms. Natsu and I both yawned at the same time and I placed my head on his shoulder, leaning against him. His warm arm wrapped around my waist as we watched Leila interact with our extended family.

"We need _rest._ "

"We also need sex." He muttered and I glanced at him, raising my eyebrow as he grinned, "So just me? I can tell when you are lying, remember that."

"Read the truth in my words, the day I get a full nights sleep. I'm talking 9 hours, is the day I let you insert anything into my oven." We had resorted into using metaphors for the _dirtier_ subjects, if they ever came up. Which, they did, quite often. Happy often flew out of the room when Natsu got to out of hand, especially when motions where being made when Leila wasn't looking.

I laughed as he pressed a kiss to my forehead, "I happen to be a master baker. Look at the cake we made." He pointed at Leila who giggled at Gajeel's face, having being passed to the large man who was now pulling faces at her. Levy also giggled, her eyes melting at Gajeel's tender side.

"Well then, after I get my rest, we can see if you are up to the challenge of heating my temperature up _just_ right."

He smirked cockily, opening his mouth to reply when a loud wail caught our attention. Erza held the baby yet again, and I noticed Gajeel was on the floor, knocked out cold. She hummed, trying to soothe Leila but Natsu and I knew that cry. I sighed, handing him my drink as he stroked my waist, "I'll hold them off you for a little while." Leila shrieked again, her wailing becoming louder as I nodded, intertwining my fingers with his as I led us to our screaming child.

Erza's eyes darted to me, wide and worried, "What's wrong with her? Did I do something wrong?"

I shook my head as Natsu explained from beside me, "Nope, that's just a mommy cry right there." I took her from Erza's arms as Natsu stated, "She has a daddy cry too, but it's normally when I'm trying to put her to bed." Leila wailed in my arms as I smiled at Erza, "Natsu's right. It's a mommy cry." I rocked her in my arms, humming to her softly as I kissed Natsu once before heading to a quiet corner of the guild. Leila fussed and cried loudly, as I sat down, and placed her in front of me.

Her eyes, brown and hurt, stared at me. I smiled at her with a soft little coo, "My little sweet-pea. What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Her cries got softer as I waved my arms around, "You know, Daddy told me to have a discussion with you about your eyes. Should we have it now?" I pulled a face at her and she began to giggle, as I wiped the snot and tears from her face, "I think that was a yes! Oh yes, yes, yes!" I clapped my hands, as she copied my movements excitedly.

I already knew Natsu was listening in, but I hadn't noticed the rest of the guild was paying attention until I glanced over at him. He was wearing a soft smile and I sent him a wink before Leila pulled on my pony tail, bringing my attention back to her.

Whenever she cried like this, it normally calmed down if I sat her down and talked to her. About anything. One time, I spoke to her about Virgo and her new boyfriend. Her sad baby face, was soon a happy baby face.

"Where's Dad? Where's Daddy?" I brought my hands up as she scanned the guild, shrieking when she saw him. She pointed as I gasped, "There he is! Wave to Daddy!" Natsu gave her a wave and she giggled, her smile so much like Natsu's that it stunned me for a moment.

"Now where's Uncle Gajeel? Where's Gajeel?" I pulled a funny face and reached out to steady her, as she crawled into my lap once more, pushing up on the table and I supported her legs as she looked around before yelling something unintelligible, but I took that as baby speak for 'There!' I followed her crooked pointing, smiling as Gajeel turned around, "There's Uncle Gajeel! Wave to him!" She screamed happily, flailing both arms about as Gajeel waved back.

She turned to me, smiling happily as I wiped the spit from her chin, "Now who do we find next? Should we find Erza? Auntie Erza?" She began to look, recognizing the name probably when I felt a cold chill. Leila was oblivious to it, but I just held onto her waist and stated, "Are you going to stand there or sit down?"

I felt Natsu turn to me, confused at what I had said but kept my eyes away from him, glancing at the side door that Gray had decided to walk through. He probably just wanted to get a job and sneak back out. My eyes met his brown ones, my stare as cold as his but my heart made a soft ache. He looked terrible. Dark circles were sitting under his eyes, his skin a little paler then usual and while I normally found stubble sort of hot, his looked messy and made him seem thinner.

"Natsu." I whispered, my tone filled with warning as Gray glanced to the bar, where I had no doubt Natsu was walking over to us. I also glanced over, finding his deep green eyes immediately, "Don't."

He clearly wanted to argue but I fixed him with a glare. Leila garbled a noise which made me turn to her, as she pointed to a still Erza, also observing Gray and I.

"There she is! Go on, wave to Auntie Erza." Leila cackled cutely, flailing about once more as Erza gave her a smile and her own wave. Then she vanished from my sight because a chest was suddenly seated opposite us. I barely blinked as Gray adjusted his position, noticing Leila's curious mumble.

She began to pull and yank on my hair softly, tangling the bottoms of it, finding Gray uninteresting to her little baby mind. His blue eyes flickered from Leila then to me, as he took a deep breath in.

I waited, patiently, as he stated, "I'm... sorry."

I tilted my head, my heart already willing to forgive and forget but being Leila's mom had changed something in me, I wasn't so ready to just accept apologies and move on.

"There is something about being a parent, that makes you want to distrust everyone." I told him, and he gazed at me, as I shook my head with a smile, "When I had Leila, it changed my life for the better. I was tougher because she needed me to be tougher. I was softer because she needed me to be softer. I've only had her, in my arms, for a few months, but I already love her so much, it frightens me."

"Lucy..." I held my hand up, and his eyes fell down to it, watching Leila grab my wrist and kiss my fingers loudly with a _'mwah'._

 _"_ I don't know how my father let me go. The thought of letting Leila go... hurts me. Almost as much, as the thought, of one of my closest friends, ruining himself over his own fears." Leila cuddled into me, her small hands clinging to my shirt as I stated, "Juvia made a decision to not talk to you. I almost made that decision myself when Natsu and I had a fight when I was pregnant. You can call us hormonal, or irrational, but having a baby is something that changes you. Natsu now cooks dinner, he never cooked dinner before Leila came. We had our doubts, we are human after all, so I won't fault you on that Gray. You are allowed to feel emotional, and upset because you are scared of what sort of father you will be, or you are scared of the commitment and courage it takes to step up. But..."

I ran a hand down Leila's back softly, hearing her mumble into my stomach from her slouched position, her chubby fingers keeping my shirt tight around my back.

"You will never, tell anyone else what they are and aren't ready for. You will never, take something entirely personal and use it against that person in an argument. You will also, never make people feel like they aren't welcomed. I will not tolerate it Gray, if you truly are sorry, then you will know exactly how badly you behaved." I felt like I was his mother, chastising him after he swore or something, but I couldn't help it. This wasn't something that could be brushed past, we hadn't spoken in months. Perhaps it was my fault for not reaching out, not making an effort, but I will not allow the same thing to happen twice.

He nodded, his shoulders dropping and I saw just how stressed, and down he was, "Okay... I won't... I'm really sorry Lucy, more than you will ever know."

I eyed him before smiling a little, lifting Leila up from her obnoxious sucking on my shirt and turned her toward Gray. His eyes widened as I pointed at Gray, "That's Uncle Gray. He's a butt."

She smiled at him happily, giggling wildly as he gazed at her, before grinning, reaching his hand out, "Hi Leila."

"Hi." She responded and I smiled before stilling. Gray's eyes swapped to me, concerned as I swiveled her little body towards me, "Oh you did not... You just..."

" _DID SHE JUST SAY HI TO THAT FROSTED PIECE OF SHIT?"_ I heard Natsu cry out, approaching us at alarming velocity as I whispered, "Now you've done it... Daddy's gonna talk about this for _years._ Do you like causing Mommy pain? Is that fun, my little sweet-pea?"

She giggled as Natsu jumped over the table, his foot smacking the side of Gray's head and Leila burst out laughing as he toppled over, barely missing my head also.

"Now come on Lei, why would you do that? He's not worthy of your first word!"

"Hi!" She chirped, and he groaned, "Now we have to talk to her about that adorable voice as well. Great job Lucy, you gave her the cutest genes possible." I laughed at his dramatics as he called, "Happy, get the survival kit. I'm taking my weird family home."

He began marching out, holding Leila to his chest protectively when the guild attempted to say good-bye, I followed with a smile, as Leila peered over Natsu's shoulder and stared at the guild for a few seconds.

Then with a bright grin and a flailing chubby arm, she stated, "Hi!"

* * *

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